Check your dogbones...

[ScottyWM]

Changed mine this morning, finally. Had been making an annoying squeak when turning, I'd been spraying them with grease to quiet them for a couple years now.

Changing them was very easy, almost too easy - even for an ole fart like me! $49 each at BMA for lemforders as I recall.

Very pleased with results - squeaks are gone! But I wasn't expecting such a noticable improvement in the handling!! Much stiffer on bumps and rough roads. Probably even more noticable since it's a touring - it used to kind of bounce around on bumps - but I thought that was because it was a wagon. Most of that is gone now!

[uscharalph]

Changed mine this morning, finally. Had been making an annoying squeak when turning, I'd been spraying them with grease to quiet them for a couple years now.

Changing them was very easy, almost too easy - even for an ole fart like me! $49 each at BMA for lemforders as I recall.

Very pleased with results - squeaks are gone! But I wasn't expecting such a noticable improvement in the handling!! Much stiffer on bumps and rough roads. Probably even more noticable since it's a touring - it used to kind of bounce around on bumps - but I thought that was because it was a wagon. Most of that is gone now!

I need to check mine.

[Dave M]

I checked mine when I repleced the suspension. Turns out, they were about to snap in half (cracked 1/2 wat through) .

I don't have the pic, but we were on the verge of a meltdown.

best of luck,

Dave M

[BigKriss]

new dogbones are a good thing. I know what I prefer.

[mikell]

Is it a big job? My rear suspension has caused me some suspicioin lately - thought it might be subframe mounts - but I'd do dogbones first, if it's not too costly, then more drastic measures if that didn't do it. Any general advice about what to do and in what order? Mine has about 200k miles on it and as far as I can tell, the rear suspension has not had any serrvice other than brakes and struts.
Thanks for the post - a good reminder.

[ScottyWM]

It was easy. You need a 22mm socket, 22mm wrench, and a torque wrench.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/51276/

Different car, but mine went just like these instructions.